Stonehenge - Neolithic England - The Age of the Megaliths

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iLecture Documentary Film
Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of the world's most iconic images, but have you ever wondered why this megalithic monument was built? Journey back to the Neolithic period of prehistory 5000 years ago and observe society changing from hunting and gathering to farming, from the collective tribe to the powerful individual.


	To watch the full film click here
	To watch the full film click here

Stonehenge : Wiltshire England
Megalithic Europe

The late Professor Richard Atkinson, leading authority on Stonehenge, once replied to the question about the purpose of this monument: “There is one short, simple and perfectly correct answer. We do not know and we shall probably never know”.

Perhaps one of the reasons for this uncertainty is that Stonehenge evolved. It was not a constant monument, but a continuous one. Whilst this certainly meant that the area’s importance was constant, the purpose of the monument itself was almost without doubt varied.

	Perhaps one of the reasons for this uncertainty is that Stonehenge evolved. It was not a constant monument, but a continuous one. Whilst this certainly meant that the area’s importance was constant, the purpose of the monument itself was almost without doubt varied. Throughout prehistory, around the world, men and women have always expressed themselves within their landscape - taken time out from subsistence to go to the enormous effort of creating a physical expression that took life and existence onto another level. The Neolithic period between 5000 and 1000 BC was no exception.

Throughout prehistory, around the world, men and women have always expressed themselves within their landscape - taken time out from subsistence to go to the enormous effort of creating a physical expression that took life and existence onto another level. The Neolithic period between 5000 and 1000 BC was no exception.

The distinguishing feature of the Neolithic – the new stone age - was a gradual transition from hunting and gathering to farming. The spread of agriculture over Europe represented a major cultural transition. It was a gradual process, and took several millenia after the earliest farming in the Near East. One reason for the delay was the climate – north western Europe was colder, and these conditions required adaptation.

On a global perspective, agriculture was able to support increasingly large numbers of people, which led to new forms of political and social organisation. Societies became more hierarchical. Leaders were now buried with marks of their special status, ranging from the the treasures of the graves of the Tiszapolgar cemetary on the Great Hungarian Plain to the splendour of the Egyptian pyramids. Craftsmen thrived in this new social milieu. New materials came into use – gold, copper, and its alloy, bronze. The smelting and casting of metals began to be developed. The growing beaurocracies encouraged the adoption of writing. Larger city states stimulated the development of warfare, which stimulated larger defences.The first cities were being born in the fertile valleys of the Nile, the Tigris and the Euphrates, the Indus and the Yellow river. These were the four primary civilisations of the Old world.

But in Europe, it was the age of the megalith, and here, perhaps the most prestigious megalithic monument is Stonehenge, presiding on the rolling hills of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England.

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